Plussound Tri-Copper

~::I originally published this review on THL. Now I wish to share it with my Head-Fi fellows.::~

:: Disclaimer ::
plusSound provided the Tri-Copper cable free of charge for the purpose of my honest review, for good or ill.

The Tri-Copper EXO sells for $549.99
www.plusSoundAudio.com

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I heard through the proverbial grapevine plusSound just finished development on new insulation for all their cables. This excited me, since I quite like their cables, but always felt the ergonomics needed a little work. They weren’t terrible, but in the question of comfort, I would choose Effect Audio every time.

So I contacted Christian over at plusSound, and he hit me with the good word on their new insulation and the improvements in flexibility and longevity. It all sounded very nice. Christian then asked what sort of conductor I’d like this time around. Seeing as I already have a few supremely clear and transparent cables, I told him I desired something warm and robust. Lo and behold, plusSound had a new product in development which Christian thought would fit my needs perfectly.

He sent the new Tri-Copper in Exo form.

plusSound ever creates such lovely works, and this one belongs among the very best. An array of gold, copper, and silver weaves together to dazzle and delight the eye. The braid handsomely gathers it all into form and function, capped with quality plugs and connectors, by the diligence of careful hands.

The new PS insulation is wonderfully supple, making for a soft, flexible wire which drapes comfortably and transmits practically no microphonics. It is no small improvement over their last iteration. plusSound now stands among the best in ergonomics.

Tri-Copper is so named due to the use of three different copper-based philosophies. Alternating strands of simple naked copper, silver-plated copper, and gold-plated copper make up this unique cable. And of course, it wouldn’t be plusSound if it weren’t also Litz wire.

It turns out Christian had the right of it. He thoroughly understood the character of this cable.

It is warm, smooth, and rich, delivering well-bodied notes and inoffensive highs. plusSound has introduced a liquidity I’ve not heard in their earlier offerings. It’s not quite on Effect Audio levels, but it’s there, and I enthusiastically welcome it.

Tri-Copper’s warmth is achieved on two fronts: Treble, and mid-bass. Higher frequencies are tamed with the strictest of discipline, subduing any peaks, and hammering down the lower treble to ensure no IEM will ever sound harsh up top. Then there’s elevation, where the bass blends into the mids. Vocals get extra weight, attaining a mild lushness, and the lows bloom nicely. All this must, by the laws of nature, reduce clarity, but can benefit some monitors which lack organicity.

There is impressive extension at both ends. You’ll hear just how deep the bass of your in-ears can go, and the highs are capable of ushering in superb air, for they can reach the furthest registers. Soundstage is expansive, though not the greatest of all-time. Separation is excellent, while resolution stands as a real strength. Indeed, the technical qualities are no joke. In spite of all its warmth, Tri-Copper can be such a transparent cable, when paired correctly.

As you can no doubt tell from the photos, I’ve fallen in love with the Noble Audio Kaiser Encore pairing. In my other cable reviews, I’m constantly trying to find an option that helps Encore with what I perceive as its weaknesses: Lack of bass, thin mids, bright/cold treble. The plusSound Gold-Plated Copper X-Series was good. The Effect Audio Thor II was even better. This Tri-Copper is the best yet. About 85% of the coldness is gone, and practically all of the harshness from high-hats and cymbals. The mid-bass is fattened enough to bring satisfying body to vocals. Meanwhile, clarity remains top-notch, and Encore’s soundstage is still one of the best in the business. There’s added warmth and harmonics, and an overall more musical and smooth presentation. Though clarity does lessen a bit, transparency is actually increased due to a more natural sound. I consider it a net gain, and have never enjoyed these IEMs more.

My 64Audio tia Fourté did not mesh as well. This came as a surprise, as the tuning for Fourté and Encore are terribly similar. crap! I’ve often called them Encore Ultra, so you can imagine my confusion. The problem, I believe, lies in the lower treble. 64Audio’s flagship is much more linear as it moves from mids to highs. It doesn’t have the same peaks. So Tri-Copper’s natural tendency to quell that region causes too much of a dip, and the music loses a significant portion of its clarity and vibrancy. This has an effect on many things, including separation and transparency. Where Encore just gets warmer and fuller, Fourté gets dull and veiled. Sort of. That’s an exaggeration, but it gives you an idea of the result. Ultimately, these IEM’s are sticking with the Leonidas cable, for now. That’s a match made in heaven.

So how does Tri-Copper compare to some of my other cables? Here’s a quick breakdown:

plusSound X-Series GPC: warm and full. Very natural. Highly transparent. Grounded. Tri-Copper is more aggressive in its warmth. Meatier. Liquid. And has quite an effect on the treble.

Effect Audio Thor Silver II: Cleaner. More linear across the spectrum. Treble has a kind of warmth to it, but Thor doesn’t tinker with any one area, so it doesn’t have as much of an effect. Nice full-bass. Holographic soundstage. Greater liquidity. Tri-Copper is fuller, especially in mid-bass. And its warmth is felt everywhere. Soundstage is not as three-dimensional, nor is separation as potent.

Effect Audio Leonidas: Cleaner, clearer, airier. Even better separation. Transparency through the roof. Strong bass, with some extra heft in mid-bass. Crystalline vocals, and treble extends forever. Insanely holographic. Liquidity taken to a new level. Tri-Copper is warmer and fuller. More mid-bass. Less airy. Much less holographic. High frequencies not as free and extended.

As always, it’s important to remember, it’s not about which cable is the best. It’s about which pairs best with which monitor. Out of all the choices I have, plusSound’s Tri-Copper is the best I’ve heard for a monitor like Kaiser Encore. It adds what I wish to be added, and smoothes out those less friendly areas. It’s the greatest companion to a thin, cold, or bright IEM, and could give new life to many other signatures, if that’s where your tastes lay.

-~::Pinky_Powers::~-

Plussound Tri-Copper Review: In The Palm of Luxury
Plussound is a custom cable maker that’s been around the block; they’ve figured out a pretty good formula for coming up with cables that are compelling luxury products. Recently they’ve revamped their lineup and released a brand-new cable, called the Tri-Copper. How does is stack up against the competition?

The Tri-Copper will soon be available on Plussound’s official website. This particular version of the Tri-Copper, the Exo, will retail for $550.

Packaging/Unboxing
Build Quality
So what really is the Tri-Copper? Well, it’s a cable made from a combination of pure copper, silver-plated copper, and gold-plated copper wire. Plussound told me that the Tri-Copper is actually the first of its kind, which is cool. If you look closely, you can actually make out the three individual colors of strands beneath the clear coating. The Tri-Copper’s color is really nice as a result and has a visually unique tone. It shimmers and sparkles a bit in the sun too.

Speaking of coating, Plussound has recently reformulated the plastic they use for each of their cables, the Tri-Copper included. They now make use of a compound they refer to as “PS insulation” (PS standing for Plussound I’d assume). The advantages of this material, according to Plussound, are that their cables are now more ergonomic and durable. Plus they’re supposed to have better performance, but I have no way of formally testing that, so I’ll have to take them on their word there.

As for the other two claims, I can indeed confirm that the PS insulation does make a noticeable difference in ergonomics. The Tri-Copper is very “soft” and pliable. It doesn’t have any noticeable body and rarely ever holds a shape for longer than a day. Microphonics are negligible too.

I find that some braided cables don’t feel too nice behind my ears, and since the Tri-Copper is memory-bent such that it can be used only for behind-the-ears style of IEMs, it is important that it not fall into that category. Thankfully it doesn’t, and is among the most comfortable cables I’ve tested to date. The smoothness of the PC insulation really does help, as does the Tri-Copper’s lightness in general.

My Tri-copper came with the standard black Y-splitter and chin slider. Nothing fancy material wise, but it does feel quite nice to the touch and has an understated look. Like most else on the Tri-Copper it is also smoothly finished and well machined.

My cable came terminated with a standard 2-pin plug. The Plussound logo was stylishly heat-shrunk onto both terminations.

Speaking of terminations, my cable was terminated with a trusty 3.5mm jack. Once again the Plussound logo has been heat-shrunk on, in an aesthetically pleasing way no less.

All in all I’m pretty impressed with the construction of the Tri-Copper. Plussound knows what they are doing and didn’t make a single mistake in building this cable. It’s a shining example of what “flawless” construction looks like.

Performance

Many “audiophile” cables are made such that they specifically induce higher impedance, and as a result, modify the “sound” of the cable. This can also occur in cables that make use of exotic conductors or very large numbers of strands. I’m glad to report that Tri-Copper doesn’t have a high impedance/resistance and doesn’t have any electrical flaws. As far as how it affects the sound, I’d say that it is vastly transparent on my IEMs. This includes sets such as:

• TFZ Series 4
• Kinera H3
• Heir Audio 4 Ai S
• Heir Audio 4S

And more. But, there were two IEMs that did, to the best of my perception, did have some subtle shifts. These are TOTL prototypes from Lark Studios. They have 10 BA and 11 BA drivers, per ear, respectively. Here’s what I heard:

• 11 BA Lark Studios Prototype: No affect on detail retrieval. Small reduction in emphasis on the lower mids
• 10 BA Lark Studios Prototype: Minor leveling on the lower-treble. No changes in detail retrieval, sound stage, etc.

Now this is new ground for me. Prior to acquiring the LSX Prototypes, I’d never experienced any sort of changes in sound signature from cables. Lark Studios has confirmed that they have also found some very small changes in frequency response in their prototypes when switching between some cables. According to them, not every cable produces a shift, but they’ve found a couple more beyond the Tri-Copper that do. I’ll begin re-testing my other cables with these prototypes too in order to see whether or not they can produce any more shifts.

MFW

Summary

The Tri-Copper is truly a luxury cable. It makes use of a combination of precious metals that gives it a stunning and unique visual tone and is built with the utmost care. Premium cables like this are great for audiophiles out there who either want to “max out” their system or upgrade their setup’s aesthetics.